How Many?

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Why do most of the critical tasks at work seem to pop up just before I leave? I’ll never understand this. I think this is the general rule for everyone. The most dire emergencies happen when you are on your way out the door to go home.

These emergencies affect the way people think, I believe. The rationality seeps out and leaves a big pocket of illogic. Observe the following conversation that I experienced once a long time ago…

Person: [Looking perturbed.] Why did you send me this document?Jorge: Pardon?Person: You sent me this document at lunch, and I don’t understand why you did it.Jorge: I still don’t know what you’re talking about.Person: [Becoming impatient.] This document for job X, you sent it to me.Jorge: I didn’t. I haven’t even sent it out yet.Person: I can show you. Hold on, I’ll go get it. I need to print it out.

[Person runs back to their desk on the other side of the floor to print out an e-mail that they could easily just read the header of. Person comes running back, paper in hand looking disappointed.]

Person: Oh. You didn’t send it. It was another person.Jorge: Okay.Person: Do you know why he sent this to me?Jorge: [Incredulous] Huh?Person: Do you know why this person sent this to me?Jorge: I’m afraid I can only tap into the mental collective of people that share my name.Person: [Looks up from deep thoughts.] Huh?Jorge: Nothing. You should just e-mail that person and find out.Person: [Trundles off.]